Ski pants

ABSTRACT

Each trouser leg of a ski pants type of garment is provided with a combined windbreak and cuff which provides for improved appearance, wind and snow protection, and flexibility in the area where the trouser legs overlap ski boots. Each windbreak is attached to a lower inside portion of a trouser leg and to an upper band of the cuff. The cuff includes upper and lower bands which limit up and down movements of the cuff when it is in an enclosing position over the top portion of a ski boot.

United States Patent Vorsteher SKI PANTS [72] Inventor: Werner Vorsteher, Enzesfeld, N.O., Aus- [73] Assignee: Anbl Sportmode Vorsteher KG, Wien,

Austria [22] Filed: June 24,1970

[21] Appl.No.: 49,334

[30] Foreign Appllcatlon Priority Data Jan. 16, 1970 Austria ..425l70 [52] US. Cl. ..2/232 [51] Int. Cl. ..'..A4ld l/08 [58] Field of Search ..2/232.4, 232, 227, 270

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,248,4s 4 7/1941 7 Freimark ..2/232x 1 June 27, 1972 2,869,138 1/1959 Hankofi", ..2/2s2x 1,784,285 12/1930 Heaton ..2/232x Primary Examiner-H. Hampton Hunter Attorney-Cushman, Darby & Cushman [57] ABSTRACT Each trouser leg of a ski pants type of garment is provided with a combined windbreak and cuff which provides for improved appearance, wind and snow protection, and flexibility in the area where the trouser legs overlap ski boots. Each windbreak is attached to a lower inside portion of a trouser leg and to an upper band of the cuff. The cuff includes upper and lower bands which limit up and down movements of the cuff when it is in an enclosing position over the top portion of a ski boot.

2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures sru PANTS BACKGROUND AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION In more recent times there has been a use of ski pants which overlap ski boots in the manner of long trousers. In the case of such pants it is necessary to provide a windbreak which prevents snow and cold air from penetrating the open bottom end of each trouser leg. Customarily a trouser element in the form of a tapered pants leg has been attached inside of the ski pants legs approximately just below the knee areas, and this trouser element extends down far enough to be inserted in between the ski socks and the ski boots below the ankle areas of the boots. The disadvantage in this arrangement is that the pants will be tight when the wearer is seated, just as a pair of tapered type trousers would be drawn up tightly, and furthermore snow can penetrate between the part of the trouser element which is received into the ski boot, just as it did in the case of older-style tapered pants. Therefore, the proposal has been made to attach a windbreak inside the bottom end of each trouser leg for encircling the upper part of the ski boot in the manner of a band or cuff. With this proposal, penetration of snow into the upper part of the ski boot will be prevented, but the tightness of the pants when the person is seated or when the knee is bent can be ameliorated only to a slight degree, since extension of the windbreak from the lower inside edge of the pants leg to its connection on the top part of the ski boot can only be relatively little (because, otherwise, an extra long windbreak would hang down and would become visible in an annoying manner below the edge of the pants leg when the wearer is standing).

The present invention relates to improved constructions for ski pants of the type which overlap ski boots. Each trouser leg ofthe improved ski pants is provided with a windbreak, which, on the one hand, is attached in the area of the lower edge of the pants leg (on the inside of said leg) and, on the other hand, is connected with the top part of the ski boot by way of a cuff element'The ski pants according to the invention are characterized essentially by a cufi enclosing both a. the top part of a ski boot above the ankle area and b. the leg of a wearer just above the top part of said ski boot, and with a windbreak combined with said cuff. Because of the fact that the cufi is shaped to completely close up the open top area of the ski boot, snow will be prevented from entering the boot. The cuff is provided with upper and lower bands, which may be elastic bands sewn into the cuff construction, that function to limit up and down movements of the cuff relative to a ski bootand the leg of a wearer. The buckled boots commonly used today have a buckle at the upper edge of the top of eachboot, and this buckle will limit upward movement of the lower cuff band, and the cuff will be secured in its position. The upper band of the cuff cannot slip down since it is seated above the edge of the top of the ski boot. Since the windbreak is attached to this cufl, the attachment can be provided at a higher position than if the windbreak would have to extend down over the top of the ski boot. In fact, it is very effective according to the invention to attach the windbreak to the band of the cuff enclosing the leg. Through this higher positioning of the connecting place of the windbreak on the cufi, the iongitudinal extent of the windbreak between the place of attachment to the pants leg and the place of attachment on the cuff will be effectively enlarged when the person is standing. This effective enlargement of the longitudinal extent of the windbreak therefore makes possible, in case the knee is bent or the person is seated, a greater clearance (and greater freedom), and this is accomplished without the windbreak hanging down below the lower edge of the trouser leg when the person is standing. Thus, the tightness of the pants when the person is seated or when he bends his knee will be completely eliminated, and yet, there is a good appearance at all times. In this manner the ski pants are not only made more comfortable and more protective for the wearer but the bulging in the area of the knee will also be counteracted.

These and other features and advantages of this invention will be appreciated from the more detailed description of an exemplary embodiment below. In the detailed description reference will be made to the drawings as briefly described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION Referring to the drawings, a cuff 1 has been placed, with a lower band 2, over the top of a ski boot 3, and with an upper band 4 enclosing a wearers leg 5 above the top edge 6 of the ski boot. The bands 2 and 4 are preferably elastic bands, and the band 2, which is more easily accessible, is preferably provided with a buckle. The cuff l is in the form of an annular sleeve and may be knitted or formed by any known technique. Further, it may be provided with vertical ribs or reinforcements which function as stiffening means for the otherwise flexible cuff. The bands 4 and 2 may be sewn to the upper and lower edges of the cuff.

A windbreak means 7 is attached to the band 4 of the cuff, and is sewn at 8 to the inside of lower edge 9 of the trouser leg 10. The windbreak means7 is shaped to encircle the opening formed between the inside of a trouser leg and the leg of a wearer, and the windbreak means may be formed by knitting, weaving, or by other known methods.

When a person is seated, the trouser leg 10 is pulled upward as shown in FIG. 2. As a result of the fact that one end of the windbreak means 7. has been attached to the upper cuff band 4, there will be a relatively considerable extension of the length of the windbreak means 7 between this place of attachment to the band 4 and the place of attachment 8 to the trouser leg 10. On the other hand, the windbreak means 7 does not hang down below the lower edge 9 of the trouser leg 10 when the person is standing (FIG. 1 Thus, when the person is seated (FIG. 2), or when the leg is bent, the trouser leg can be pulled up with relative freedom and with little tightness or tension. I

In the case of the design according to FIGS. 1 and 2, a buckle boot of the customary type has been shown. The lower band 2 reaches below the uppermost buckle l l and is prevented by that buckle from sliding upwards. The upper band 4 is prevented by the upper edge 6 of the boot from sliding down, so that the cuff is held securely in its position. In the case of a ski boot without buckles, friction may suffice to secure the lower band 2 against slipping upwards. However, such a ski boot customarily has hooks in front which may be used to secure the band 2 in its position. Also, as FIG. 3 shows, a ski boot 3 made without buckles may be provided additionally with projections 12 which will secure the lower band 2 in its position. These projections 12 can be formed by rivets, by hooks riveted on, or by other elements or beads of the ski boot.

In either case, the upper band 4 is secured in its position by the top edge 6 of the ski boot and by the leg which becomes thicker further up. The lower band 2 is secured in its position by the ski boot and additionally by stiffening means which may be provided in the cufi construction. I

Thus, the invention provides for a cuff l which effectively seals the top of the ski boot from entry of snow or moisture, together with a windbreak means 7 which is connected .to the cuff so as to provide great flexibility of the garment, protection against wind, and a good appearance.

What is claimed is:

1. Ski pants with a windbreak means in each trouser leg thereof for overlapping a portion of a ski boot, each of said windbreak means being permanently attached to the inside of a trouser leg in the area of the lower edge of the trouser leg, a cuff, and each windbreak means being also attached to said cuff which can be placed over the top portion of a ski boot, said cuff being of a shape and size to enclose a persons leg above the top of the ski boot and the top portion of the ski boot above the ankle area of the boot, said cuff having upper and lower elastic bands included in its construction at upper and lower terminal ends, respectively, said upper elastic band functioning to limit downward movement of the cuff by hugging the person's leg, said lower band functioning to limit upward movement of the cuff by hugging said top portion of i i i 

1. Ski pants with a windbreak means in each trouser leg thereof for overlapping a portion of a ski boot, each of said windbreak means being permanently attached to the inside of a trouser leg in the area of the lower edge of the trouser leg, a cuff, and each windbreak means being also attached to said cuff which can be placed over the top portion of a ski boot, said cuff being of a shape and size to enclose a person''s leg above the top of the ski boot and the top portion of the ski boot above the ankle area of the boot, said cuff having upper and lower elastic bands included in its construction at upper and lower terminal ends, respectively, said upper elastic band functioning to limit downward movement of the cuff by hugging the person''s leg, said lower band functioning to limit upward movement of the cuff by hugging said top portion of the ski boot, and said windbreak means being attached to said cuff at said upper elastic band, with the attachment of said windbreak means to said trouser leg being closely adjacent the bottom edge thereof such that when a person wearing the ski pants stands upright the level of attachment of the windbreak means to the trouser leg is lower than the level of attachment of the windbreak means to the cuff.
 2. Ski pants according to claim 1 wherein said cuff includes stiffening means running in the direction of the height of the cuff. 